I can name an item and its color, ask the price, say my size, and pay in cash or by card.
What color it is and how much it costs
What color it is and how much it costs
To choose an item, ask the price, and pay, you need colors, sizes, and a few set questions.
A color is an adjective, and it comes AFTER the noun: una camicia bianca (English puts it before). Its ending changes with gender and number, which English colors never do: rosso, rossa, rossi, rosse; verde has only two forms: verde, verdi (see the table). Three colors never change: blu, rosa, viola — una giacca blu, le gonne rosa.
For one item, ask Quanto costa?; for several, Quanto costano?; for the total, the familiar Quant'è? Read prices in words: venti euro e settanta (in an Italian price, the comma stands where English has a period: 15,30 €). Euro itself never changes: un euro, venti euro, with no -s.
Clothing size is la taglia (Ho la taglia quarantadue); shoe size is il numero. To try something on: Posso provare?
You pay in contanti or con la carta; the salesperson hands you your change with Ecco il resto.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “una camicia bianco” → una camicia bianca.
• NOT “le scarpe blue” → le scarpe blu (the color doesn't change).
• NOT “Quanto costa le borse?” → Quanto costano le borse?
• NOT “tre euros” → tre euro.
Color: after the noun
For blu, rosa, and viola, all four forms are the same — they never change.
| Masc. sing. | Fem. sing. | Masc. pl. | Fem. pl. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bianco | bianca | bianchi | bianche | |
| nero | nera | neri | nere | |
| rosso | rossa | rossi | rosse | |
| verde | verde | verdi | verdi | |
| giallo | gialla | gialli | gialle | |
| azzurro | azzurra | azzurri | azzurre | |
| grigio | grigia | grigi | grigie | |
| marrone | marrone | marroni | marroni | |
| arancione | arancione | arancioni | arancioni | |
| doesn't change | blu | blu | blu | blu |
| doesn't change | rosa | rosa | rosa | rosa |
| doesn't change | viola | viola | viola | viola |
Prices: writing, reading, asking
| What | Example |
|---|---|
| Written price | 15,30 € |
| How it's read | quindici euro e trenta |
| About one item | Quanto costa? |
| About several items | Quanto costano? |
| About the total | Quant'è? |
Lesson notes
What color it is and how much it costs
To choose an item, ask the price, and pay, you need colors, sizes, and a few set questions.
A color is an adjective, and it comes AFTER the noun: una camicia bianca (English puts it before). Its ending changes with gender and number, which English colors never do: rosso, rossa, rossi, rosse; verde has only two forms: verde, verdi (see the table). Three colors never change: blu, rosa, viola — una giacca blu, le gonne rosa.
For one item, ask Quanto costa?; for several, Quanto costano?; for the total, the familiar Quant'è? Read prices in words: venti euro e settanta (in an Italian price, the comma stands where English has a period: 15,30 €). Euro itself never changes: un euro, venti euro, with no -s.
Clothing size is la taglia (Ho la taglia quarantadue); shoe size is il numero. To try something on: Posso provare?
You pay in contanti or con la carta; the salesperson hands you your change with Ecco il resto.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “una camicia bianco” → una camicia bianca.
• NOT “le scarpe blue” → le scarpe blu (the color doesn't change).
• NOT “Quanto costa le borse?” → Quanto costano le borse?
• NOT “tre euros” → tre euro.